NobunagaxHeroine
by Angelninjacat113
Summary: On the last leg of her journey to unite Ransei and save it from Nobunaga, Pokemon Conquest heroine Tamashi finally challenges Dragnor. But when she arrives, she develops a crush the tyrant himself. How can she deal with falling for the man she's supposed to defeat, and keep it a secret from his sister, Oichi, as well? Will Tamashi's crazy (OC) advisor wreak it all? NobunagaxHeroine
1. The Beginning

**Welcome, to the first Nobunaga x Heroine fanfiction. I hope you enjoy it, but first brace yourselves. There might be a little bit of crazy randomness. Without further ado, I give you…**

 **~~Pokemon Conquest…~~**

 **-A Conquest of the Heart-**

Dawna's POV

When Oichi first told me about her brother, I pictured a crazy lunatic with crazy brown hair, wacky clothes, and a serious mental disorder. But boy, was I wrong. Nothing could've prepared me for when I arrived at Dragnor.

Oichi marched in front of me and Hikari. She told me that she wanted to be the first to confront her brother, and I had no problem with that. We barely made it to the front doors when a small girlish-looking boy in a purple top and dark shorts came bursting out to meet us.

"Lady Oichi! You have returned!" The girl-boy said excitedly, apparently not noticing me yet. Oichi looked tense as she answered.

"I have returned, Ranmaru…But not in the way that you think," Oichi said bravely, pushing past her fear of her brother and returning home. But I noticed she hung on tighter to Jigglypuff.

"I'm here as Lady Daw- I mean Lady Tamashi's friend and ally!" She pushed on. Ranmaru looked less surprised than I had thought, but more concerned, nervous, and scared.

"Lady Oichi, it is still not too late. I beg you to reconsider. You are Lord Nobunaga's sister, after all…" The boy's face fell as he spoke, and I couldn't help feeling a little pity. He was the Junior Warlord of a monster, and now the monster's sister had returned not as his ally, but as foe.

I quickly pushed that pity away and steeled myself for anything and everything to come. Then…

"Enough." A voice echoed with authority and power. I turned to the source, and gasped. He was not at all how I had imagined.

Nobunaga had black spiky hair up in a ponytail. A sharp beard poked from his chin, and a thin mustache lined his upper lip. He wore a purple coat and shirt, covered with black armor, decorated by a gold Poke-symbol with petals. His dark eyes seemed to see into my heart and soul. But the thing that caught me most off guard was that I thought he was _hot._

No! He was the destroyer of Ransei's peace! I couldn't fall for him. But I couldn't help it. I decided I would let myself feel this way in secret, and not let it affect my battling or judgment, and I _could not_ tell anyone, especially Hikari. Her mouth had more energy than her pokemon, Togepi.

"Lord Nobunaga!" Ranmaru spun towards his master, still looking nervous and scared. Nobunaga's eyes slid over Oichi, then me and Eevee, then Hikari and Togepi, and finally my army. 'Army' being three other women. He studied us, probably looking for weaknesses or flaws he could work to his advantage. I was told he was cunning, as well as strong and ruthless.

"I will not tolerate anyone who attempts to stands in my way. Even if they are my own flesh and blood…" He glanced at Oichi. Oichi looked at the ground, and I could tell his comment cut deep. The pink Warrior tightened her grip on Jigglypuff again. But I saw something flicker in his eyes, a shadow of…Guilt? Remorse? Whatever it was, I sensed he didn't entirely want to fight against his sister. And it eased a little of my doubts about falling for him.

He began again, acting like nothing happened.

"I had almost grown tired of waiting for you," He said haughtily.

"Now it is time. Time for Nobunaga to take the final step." He gestured, and the waiting Ranmaru hurriedly thrust open the doors… and got a bucket of ice-water on the head. Nobunaga almost lost his dignified and terrifying air as his second-in-command kneeled over and started whimpering.

Nobunaga looked slightly shocked, but then he put up the emotionless face again. He simply walked past the shivering Junior Warlord. _His_ Junior Warlord. Mina, one of my Warriors, rushed to Ranmaru's aid. She whispered something to him and he pointed. Mina quickly helped the boy to his feet, and walked into the castle with him.

The other two women started to go after them, but stopped and turned to me. I nodded.

"Go ahead. We'll be fine." They smiled gratefully and went sfter their comrade. I waited until they was out of earshot and then turned to Hikari.

"How-?" Hikari stuck her index finger in my face, stopping me. Togepi mirrored her actions, even though there was no one level to the top of the joking Warrior's head.

"Don't question the magic. Just enjoy the results." I remained silent, without emotion, just long enough to make Hikari uncomfortable, then started to laugh. Eevee smiled, giggling in her little pokemon voice. Hikari immediately started laughing alongside me, until Oichi exploded. She didn't raise her voice, but it was still effective.

"We are about to go up against my brother, the most powerful Warlord in Ransei, and you two are laughing about my old friend getting cold, wet, and hurt?! I hope you act more seriously on the battlefield, or this region is doomed." We stared in shock as she rushed after the Warriors. Her pink pokemon followed her.

"She better not start the fight without us…" I muttered.

"Hey, wait a sec first," Hikari said as she grabbed my shoulder, causing Eevee to almost fall off. She held my shoulders, gazing into my eyes. I held my breath, waiting for the worst.

Then she broke out in an almost scary smile. She just stared for a little longer, and Eevee started to fidget. Then a very scary comment burst out from her mouth.

"You LIKE Nobunaga!" She squealed, and I thought my heart would stop. Then I clapped my hands around her mouth.

"SSHHHHH! What if someone heard you!?" I looked around wildly, but we seemed to be alone. She shoved my palms off of her mouth, revealing a huge grin that could only be trouble.

"Oh. My gosh. YOU. Like NOBUNAGA. The person you're supposed to defeat horribly for messing up our reigon. The root of all the terrible things that happened in the last several months. NOBU-" Hikari would've gone on forever if I hadn't stopped her.

"YES! Him! So what?! Are you going to tell the whole region perhaps? Or maybe just Oichi. She's stressed enough as it is! And I'll either get laughed out of everywhere, or get some horrible insults. Maybe both! Which one do you think I deserve, Hikari?!" Hikari was silent through my rant, and I needed to catch my breath. She began to talk quietly, knowing she was walking on dangerous ground.

"I wasn't going to tell anyone. I know how important saving Ransei is to you. I wouldn't mess it up by telling them you like the guy who made this mess in the first place. And I think you deserve to be free to like whoever." She put her hand on my shoulder again, this time lighter.

"As your friend and advisor, I'll keep this secret." I was relieved. I let out a shaky breath and started to say thanks.

"BUT… Under one condition." Hikari grinned again, and my feeling of dread returned.

"Oh no…What is it?" I said hesitantly. She grinned bigger.

"You MUST let me play match-maker." My stomach dropped into my boots. That could-no, WOULD- be disastrous.

"Um, I'm not sure…" I started.

"Okay then, I'm sure Oichi would love a little pre-battle story," She said innocently.

"NO!" I jumped. This is probably the biggest mistake I'll ever make.

"Fine," I grumbled reluctantly. Hikari's face lit up.

"Yes! This is gonna be awesome!" She yelled, and ran into the castle. Still wondering what sort of havoc she could wreck with the information she held and that title I had officially given her, I ran after my friends into the dragon type's lair.

-Later…-

There was only one word to describe the battlefield. Impressive. It was a stone hallway arranged in an L shape. A line of strange pole-like structures lined the path, and each one had a different color ring around the top of the pole. There was a bunch of space to let loose and go all out, plus a high ceiling had chandeliers hanging from it. I had already planned out some maneuvers we could use to our advantage.

"Lord Nobunaga must be protected! I'm afraid I cannot make allowances for you, Lady Oichi!"


	2. Fighting for Respect

**Here's chapter 2! Pokemon, in any form, do not belong to me. Also, if I butcher Nobunaga's personality, don't yell at me. There's a reason it's MY story.**

 **~~~~~Dawna POV~~~~~**

"I've got the snooty scholar, Oichi, clear out Ranmaru so Dawna can get to Nobunaga. The rest of you fan out and fight the others," Hikari yelled, running forward. My army-including Oichi- glanced at me, puzzled.

"Uh, yeah, what she said," I lamely covered. I mentally kicked myself as I shot forward with Eevee. My team spread out and battled against their designated opponents. Ranmaru's Dratini looked like it could take down Oichi's Jigglypuff with one shot, but I pried my eyes away from their battle and focused on the calm, menacing Nobunaga. I stopped in front of him, trying to keep myself from freaking out. Eevee stood bristling at my feet. Just then, I noticed he didn't have a pokemon.

"Um, where's your pokemon…?" As soon as the words came I kicked myself once again, this time for sounding scared and unsure. I guess that's what he wanted, though, because he laughed evilly.

"Oh, don't worry. It'll be here soon, _Tamashi._ " He drew out my real name, not my nickname, and I shuddered. Then the whole room shuddered. A roar echoed through the battlefield, and everyone looked around, trying to figure out where the sound came from. Then it came.

A giant black dragon-like pokemon with startling red eyes and blue electricity flashing over its wings soared through the air, landing just behind Nobunaga, covering him in its shadow.

I almost forgot how to breathe. My Eevee raised its eyes and lowered itself, sinking in fear. I knew I couldn't beat that on my own, so I had to bide time until at least Hikari and/or Oichi and/or another member of my army had defeated their opponent. Then I noticed they were just staring at the Zekrom.

"Hey! Focus!" I yelled at them, and they quickly obeyed. Battles started to rage around us again as I faced Nobunaga. He still stood still, simply watching me. I decided to make the first move.

"Okay, Eevee! He might be bigger and stronger, so we'll have to move faster! Use Quick Attack and run up the wall!" My small brown pokemon shot up the wall, running past the massive pokemon's head. Nobunaga thrust out his hand towards Eevee.

"Bolt Strike," He said simply, and Zekrom let loose a huge bolt of lightning from its mouth, which arched right towards Eevee.

"Jump onto the chandelier!" Eevee quickly obeyed, dodging the bolt at the last second. It tore into the wall, ripping out a hunk of stone so I could see out into the open sky. I made a mental note to avoid its attacks at all times. I pointed at Zekrom.

"Okay, hit him with Trump Card!" Eevee jumped into the air, spinning as glowing cards formed around her and shot toward Zekrom. Eevee landed on the ground just as the attack connected, blasting smoke and dust everywhere.

Nobunaga, still standing behind the giant, was hit by the wind, causing his hair and robe-like clothing to be swept back. He stood still as the dust cleared, revealing an unharmed Zekrom.

Eevee backed toward me in fear. I had to admit, he was impressive. But I had an idea.

' **Eevee. Back up so the chandelier is in front of you. We need to get Zekrom below it,'** I communicated silently to my partner.

' **But why…OH! Good plan, mistress,'** she responded. She obeyed, just as Nobunaga ordered his pokemon to attack us again. As the massive black pokemon flew at Eevee, I put my plan into action.

"Now!" I yelled, as Zekrom flew under the light fixture. Eevee leaped, higher than she'd ever jumped before. She cleared the candles of the chandelier, cutting through the supportive chain with a well-aimed Iron Tail.

Zekrom didn't have time to move as the light fixture crashed down upon it, pinning it to the ground.

"While it's vulnerable! Quick Attack!" Eevee rushed at Zekrom, glowing with a green light. She slammed into Zekrom's nose, causing a roar of displeasure. As Eevee hit Zekrom again, I risked a glance at Nobunaga. He was looking not at his pokemon, but straight at me, with what I took to be an amused expression.

Whatever it was, it sent shivers down my spine. I quickly looked away, just in time to see Zekrom bursting up from the trap, sending Eevee tumbling back to my feet. Eevee regained her balance, preparing for the inevitable attack, but Nobunaga put his hand up to Zekrom.

"Enough. I wish to fight her myself."

"WHAT!?" I yelped aloud, then clapped my hands over my mouth. Nobunaga looked at me, and a smirk slowly slid onto his face.

"It is tradition we fight along-side our pokemon. Nobunaga will see what you are capable of."

I was half-expecting an attack, but I still didn't move fast enough. Zekrom shot forward, blasting electricity from its mouth, aimed at Eevee. Nobunaga moved likewise, but slashed out with a black, wide-bladed sword. I jumped to the side, but his sword still raked my side. The blast of lightning seared Eevee's shoulders. I stumbled, drawing and thrusting out with my own sword clumsily, barely blocking Nobunaga's down-cut. Eevee barely got out of the way of Zekrom's claws.

Suddenly, I felt the pain of my partner. Her burden was mine. Our breathing slowed to an identical pace. Our hearts beat at once. Our senses sharpened. _This_ is what it meant to be a Warlord.

Eevee and I surged up at the same moment, slashing upward with steel and Iron Tail. Our opponents moved in sync, stumbling back but quickly regaining stature. Then, we shot forward as they swung powerfully at us. They might've been stronger, bigger, but we were quicker. We ducked to the side, leaping up with a quick stab before gracefully retreating. They staggered, and we could see we left a cut on the side of their face. They slashed again, but we rolled to one side and stabbed at whatever skin we could find before jumping back, clear of them attacking back. They were getting mad, and hopefully, careless. They rushed forward, stabbing at us, but we leaped over their attack, cutting down. They blocked it just in time, so we hopped back. We prepared to rush again, but we weren't expecting the blasting attack that came next.

Black sword and claws alike ripped through the air, slamming into us, sending us soaring back. We crashed into the strange pole-like structures, Eevee hitting a gray one, me, a yellow. I slid down and landed on my knees. I could sense Eevee getting healed, but then I arched my back and shrieked as electricity struck my body.

My sword tip dropped to the ground; probably the only thing that saved me. Some of the shock was sent into the stones. The pain seemed to go on forever, and when the worst finally ended, I crumpled forward onto the floor, still hanging onto my sword. I saw a shadow glide over the ground in front of me. With a final burst of defiance, I lurched up with my sword, feeling it clank against something metal. I looked up, right into deep brown eyes. Then the world faded to black.

 **~~~~~Nobunaga POV~~~~~**

I watched as Tamashi, the young female Warlord from Aurora, crashed into a yellow node, and her little brown pokemon crashed into a gray one. Her pokemon—an Eevee—was quickly healed, but the girl wasn't so lucky. She landed on her knees, then arched backward and let out a shriek that ripped through the other sounds of fighting coming from behind me. The shock that she received would probably kill her—not that I really cared. She was trying to take away my perfect dreams of unity and final peace for this warring nation.

She crumpled forward, amazingly still alive. I decided to end her misery, as I knew full well how much those nodes could hurt. I stood in front of her, beginning to raise my sword. Then, surprisingly, she surged up with her sword still in hand as she smacked my sword out of my hand. Her face turned toward me, and I saw something in her violet-blue eyes. It was something that I felt so often in myself.

She would keep fighting for what she believed in. Even if it meant suffering through this excruciating pain, she would stay true to her beliefs. I respected that. She crumpled again, this time the sword dropping from her hand, grazing my cheek. It left another cut over the one she had given me before.

For a few seconds, I just looked down at the beaten Warlord, thinking. She had come to defy me, to defend her truth, not knowing what could happen, yet still fought until she wasn't able to move. It made me want to know more about her.

Then I whirled around as I heard my Zekrom let out a roar. Tamashi's stubborn little Eevee had knocked Zekrom back into the scattered candles, and apparently one hadn't been completely extinguished. The heat from Zekrom's tail had caused it to ignite, creating a flaming spot on the dragon's tail. It was almost comical. _Almost._ One of Tamashi's soldiers rushed toward it, yelling, "Okay, Sealeo, Ice Ball!"

A blue, round pokemon crashed into my Zekrom from behind in a ball of ice, putting out the fire, but also succeeding in knocking out my pokemon as well. One of my own Warriors prepared to attack the Sealeo and Warrior from behind, but I stepped forward.

"Halt." My voice carried over all other sounds, everyone freezing and looking at me.

"Your Warlord is badly hurt. I will allow the opposing team to rest here until she is prepared to fight again. Nobunaga finds no satisfaction in letting lesser Warriors fight without the Warlords. We shall continue later." With those last words, I swept away down the battle hallway, leaving startled armies to care for the wounded. My sword lay abandoned on the stone floor. As I strode away, a secret part of me hoped I could fight the girl from Aurora again soon.


	3. A New Problem

**OH MY GOSH I FINALLY GOT THE CHAPTER UPLOADED. So, here's chapter 3.**

 **~~~~~Dawna POV~~~~~**

Almost immediately after I passed out, the dreams started. The first was a pinpoint of white in the darkness with a rich, melodious voice that said, " **I await you."** Then I saw Zekrom standing over my castle in Aurora, roaring as it burned. The last one was Oichi standing over me, saying in Nobunaga's voice, "I wish to fight her myself."

I woke up staring into Eevee's furry brown face. As soon as I opened my eyes, she let out a bark of joy, and licked my face. I sat up, and she jumped down to my lap. I looked around, finding myself in a smallish room. Occupied by a single cot (which I was laying on), and a small, wooden table near the head of my cot. Oichi and Hikari came in just as I was throwing back the sheet and sitting on the edge of the uncomfortable bed. Eevee sat beside me, watching me like I might collapse again. I was still fully clothed, but my armor had been removed. It sat on the table. Quickly, I pulled on my shoulder and torso guards, and headpieces.

"Lady Dawna! You're awake!" Oichi stared worriedly at me, and I knew she'd forgiven me and Hikari about earlier.

"So…what happened after I blacked out?" I asked. Oichi opened her mouth to answer, but Hikari jumped in instead.

"NobunagastoppedthefightbecausehesaidwithoutWarlordstherewasnohonororsomethingandhesaidafteryourecoveredwecouldstartfightingagain…" Hikari let out a continuous stream of words in a single breath that took me a minute to unscramble. While Hikari caught her breath, I slid off the hard cot and stood up. I ached a little, but nothing serious.

"Well, I feel fine. Let's go kick their butts!" I declared, but Oichi stepped in with an explanation of her own.

"Well, our side may be ready, but theirs isn't. Ranmaru was able to stand through that battle, but now he's stuck in bed with a high fever. Everyone will have to wait until he's healed."

"Oh," I said, feeling a little less excited.

"What are we supposta' do while we wait?" I asked as Eevee started grooming her tail. Oichi pulled her hands out from behind her back, bringing something wrapped in cloth along with them. She dropped the object on the small table with a _thump,_ and Eevee jumped to her feet, startled by the loud sound. It was Nobunaga's sword. The poor table looked like it would collapse under the weight of the sword. The blade itself was wrapped heavily in some kind of cloth, leaving only the handle poking out.

"Well, to begin with, you can bring my brother's sword back to him." Oichi, after giving me my chore, turned to leave.

"Hikari, go with Dawna. I'll go check on Ran-"

"HEY! Oichi. Maybe I should come with you, because…uh…because…I was the one that made Ranmaru sick! Yeah. 'Cause, y'know…um…responsibility and stuff?" Hikari glanced at me, and I could tell exactly what she was trying to do. Oichi looked confused.

"I guess you can come. If you really want to…" As the duo left the room, Hikari winked at me. _Good luck,_ she mouthed.

I gave her my best sneer. After they left, I realized I had no idea where Nobunaga might be.

' **Do you know?'** I questioned my partner pokemon. She wagged her head no.

"Well, we'd better start looking, then." I sighed out loud. Eevee jumped off the cot as I grabbed my boots and shoved my feet into them. I picked up the sword, and seriously misjudging the weight, almost dropped it. The cut Nobunaga had inflicted on my side started throbbing, but I ignored it. I tried to shift the sword to a more comfortable position, so I set the tip on the table. I moved it to be hanging with the flat of the blade on the front of my thighs. I grabbed where the side of the blade would be, and staggered out the doorway. Eevee followed, looking up expectantly.

"I guess we'll start with whatever's on this floor, then move up. Or down. Whichever way has stairs closest to where we end up." Eevee bobbed her head in agreement, and we set off to look for Oichi's brother.

 **~~~~~Nobunaga POV~~~~~**

After I left the battlefield, I wandered through the halls of my castle, trying to clear my head. After I tripped over the sixth stone that jutted unevenly from the floor, I decided to head down to the hot springs on the bottom floor of the castle.

I stepped into the cavern, feeling the calming heat. The room was a large, half-wood ceiling, half-cavern. There was a big, steaming pool about three times as tall as I was in diameter, and as deep as my neck in some places. Thick rocks rimmed the spring, providing a natural barrier and a place to hang clothes and such. Racks, stacked with towels and soap, were bolted to the wall. This is where I went when I wanted to think and/or be alone. I quickly stripped down, leaving my clothes laying on one of the rocks. I didn't bother to take my hair out of the up-do as I sank down into the water, letting it wash my aches away. I thought back to Tamashi, the interesting Warlord from Aurora. She had a fighting style that was very unique.

She seemed to dodge attacks, then pop up on the weakest side and deliver powerful blows of her own. Her speed and agility were impressive, and she had a good bit of strength behind her fast stabs. I rubbed my cheek, remembering and feeling the marks she had left on me. But she had to have a weakness. Everyone did. Some were just better at hiding it than others.

I was just running through her movements in my head when a knock vibrated through the cavern-room. I mentally sighed. Just as I was getting close to revealing Tamshi's flaw. My soldiers were probably just returning my sword. I couldn't let them catch me in the hot springs again, however. I had to set a good example and not slack off. Stepping out of the water, I slipped a single towel around my waist, then walked across to the wooden side of the room to the set of doors. I slid the doors open, preparing to scold my soldier. I was not expecting who it really was.

 **~~~~~Dawna POV~~~~~**

I walked down countless hallways, knocking on doors and asking about Nobunaga. Most of the rooms were empty. Some were occupied by Warriors, but they weren't any help at all. They either said they _never_ knew where Nobunaga went, and a couple told me it was none of my business to know where he was. I still knocked on every door, earning myself more than a few surprises.

One door hid a horde of Zubat. They scared me so much that I dropped the sword on my foot. My boot now has a permanent dent in the toe, and I had a limp for the rest of the search.

Another door held back a massive pile of _rocks_ for some reason, and they fell in an avalanche, burying me for a full two minutes until Eevee dug me out. Finally, we reached the last door.

Well, doors. A set of double sliding doors sat in front of us, and judging from the steam seeping through, it was to a hot spring. I shifted the sword to my hip, and praying it didn't slip out of my hand, knocked loudly on the door. I hoped it was only girls in there, or things would get awkward. I quickly dropped my hand down to grip the sword as it started to slide down my leg. I watched the door, bracing myself for whatever would come next. I heard rustling from inside, so I hefted the sword up onto my palms. I adjusted my elbows so that they were propped against my midsection, letting the sword rest on my arms and chest. The door slid open, and I opened my mouth to ask about Nobunaga. I almost passed out when I saw who it was.

Nobunaga himself stood there, but that wasn't the most surprising. The thing that made me want to go die of embarrassment was that he was _half-naked._ A towel around his waist was the only piece of clothing he had on. His hair was still pulled up in a spiky up-do. I didn't know where to look, so I stared at his chest. He had amazing pecs and washboard abs. The steam that clung to him made him seem to glisten.

'Wow,' I thought. 'He's _really hot._ ' I immediately smacked myself mentally. What was I doing? I pried my eyes away and glanced at his face. He looked like he was paralyzed, his mouth hanging slightly open and one eyebrow twitched. I felt my face flush with embarrassment. I had to get out of there.

"I…uh…your sword…" I stammered, almost throwing the blade toward Nobunaga. He unfroze, barely catching it. He fumbled with it, trying to keep his grip on his sword as I turned and promptly ran away.

I bolted down endless hallways, Eevee close by my heels. As I ran, I played the scene with Nobunaga over and over in my head, desperately hoping that I was still passed out and that it was just a bad dream.

I ran up a flight of stone stairs, turned down another hallway, and crashed into someone. They stumbled back as I toppled over backward onto my butt. Eevee scuttled out of the way as I fell. I clambered back to my feet, trying to regain posture. I prepared to be scolded by one of Nobunaga's Warriors, but instead, Hikari was standing there, grinning.

"Sooooo…how'd it go?" She exclaimed eagerly. Her smile slid off her face when she saw my expression. "What happened?"

I spilled all about my scene Nobunaga, trying to remain sane as I realized that it was _not_ a dream, and if he caught me, I would most likely be dead. As I finished, a crooked smile grew on her face. I got a bad feeling that she was planning something.

"Hikari, whatever it is, DON'T DO IT."

 **~~~~~Nobunaga POV~~~~~**

After I got dressed and strapped the sword to my back, I went searching for Aurora's Warlord. I needed to apologize to Dawna for letting her see me in such a position, and to assure her that it would not happen again. After interrogating some of my Warriors, they told me she was last seen being pulled outside the castle by her second-in-command, Hikari. I headed outside the castle, going to find them.

I left via the back doors, walking out into a small clearing that led directly into a forest, and off to one side there was a natural pool, rimmed by small shrines. I strode past the pool, going deeper into the forest.

Soon, I heard voices. I headed in that direction, careful to not make much sound. I passed a thick tree with a few slash marks in it as the voices got louder. I finally saw a spot of white, marking Tamashi's clothing. I stepped around a tree to see Tamshi sitting on a log, and Hikari standing in front of her. I stepped into view of Tamashi and Hikari just as Tamashi said, "How do I tell him? 'Hey, I really like you even though you're supposedly Ransei's biggest mon-'" She turned, breaking off as she saw me. Her nose turned pink and her eyes widened. I abruptly flashed back to the hot spring scene, and how her nose had cutely flushed pink then, too.

...

' _CUTELY?!'_ What was I thinking? She was an enemy, not to mention that I barely knew her. I wasn't going to be attracted by simply a cute face.

"Sooooo…are you gonna just stand there and stare at us awkwardly, or did you want something?" Hikari stated, snapping me out of my mental rant. I quickly regathered myself, remembering why I was out here.

"Yes, I mean to apologize to Lady Tamshi for letting her see me in such a state earlier. It is unprofessional for a Warlord of my stature, and it will not happen again, I assure you," I recited, bending at the waist to give them a half bow. Then, straightening, I turned and walked away. I had to get back to the castle to train for the battle. So long as Ranmaru stayed sick, I had time.

As I left the clearing, I overheard Hikari retort, "Y'know, maybe Oichi could help and give us advice on…" Her voice became inaudible as I grew closer to the castle, but my thoughts were elsewhere. On the girl from Aurora's question, mainly.

'How do I tell him? 'Hey, I really like you even though you're supposedly Ransei's biggest mon…' Tell who? Ransei's biggest 'mon?' As in 'pokemon?' I quickly dismissed it, though, because it didn't concern me and I had other things to worry about. I entered the castle and bumped into Oichi. She stumbled back, startled.

"D-do you know where T-tamashi and Hikari are?" She stammered, trying to put on a brave face and act like I didn't scare her.

"Yes. They are out in the forest. Now, Nobunaga must train. Tell them to not interrupt me," I said, brushing past her. I sensed her fear as she clutched that pink balloon-like pokemon tighter. Oh, little sister. I wish you'd understand that what I do is for the good of Ransei. All I want is a better world. Try to abandon your fear and support your brother.

I strode down the halls to the training room, trying to ignore the now familiar feeling of loneliness.

 **~~~~~Oichi POV~~~~~**

Nobunaga brushed past me, heading to the training room. I clutched Jigglypuff to my chest, straining to not jump away. I remembered when my brother and I were very close. When we were kids, he would give me rides on his shoulders. He would chase away the bullies, make sure I had someone to rely on and play with. Now, however…He's so devoted to his ideas, so determined to make his dream a reality that he never has time to spend with me, and he's forgotten to care about others, so it seems. He needs someone to remind him that there's still good here in Ransei, and I would do it…But I think he needs someone new.

Ignoring those thoughts, I trekked through the forest. I finally reached a small clearing where Dawna and Hikari were standing, facing each other, shouting and fighting.

I stepped forward to stop them when Dawna yelled, "And I suppose Oichi won't mind a bit when I tell her that I like her brother, HUH?!" I froze. Dawna, likes my brother? It was a miracle and a doomsday call, both at once. I stepped forward once again, this time crunching a leaf to get their attention. They both turned at the same time, their faces changing from anger to shock. Dawna's face went white. Hikari was just surprised. I spoke before either of them could.

"I don't know if I mind or not."

 _ **END CHAPTER 3**_

 **I got a little feely in there. Also, cliffhanger! Aaaaand no more inspiration. This chapter was my rush, where I'm like, OH YEAH. I know exactly what's gonna happen and how I'm gonna do this and there's so much I could do or go with it. But when it's done, I'm thinking, "Okay, that idea's done. Now what?" So if anyone has a scenario or something they'd like to share, that would be amazing. I'll take any and all requests. The final thing is thanks for reading this, and supporting me. Knowing that people like my stories really makes me want to write more. Thanks!**


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